Above Biwa, on the 3rd floor, we have an office and as I sit here and look out over the neighborhood I ask myself “How did I get here?” And then I say to myself “My god, what have I done.”

Remarkably, ten years ago this week we opened Biwa, and reflecting upon this improbable but inevitable near miracle I am awash in cliché memories glowing restaurants in a fine light and demonstrating their wondrous power to bring us together.

Over the weekend a couple came in to Parasol, our new bar. They looked around, probably confused by our recent renovations. As we talked, they shared that they had been on their first date at Biwa and had since moved out of town, and that they had just gotten married and were returning to visit the location of that first date. How nice it is to be part of moments like this literally every day at work!

There are, of course, less magical parts of the restaurant day. I am pretty sure that something breaks as soon as it becomes the most inconvenient possible time (which seems to be Sunday), and I have become good friends with our plumber and it has snowed a lot this winter, hasn’t it? But over the years we have shared all of these moments with countless wonderful staff and guests, many of whom have become friends and then more like family.

Our recent, wonderful renovation by Constructive Form and Deform has breathed some exciting new energy into Biwa (and made the space for Parasol to join our family) and looking out over the neighborhood from the office at all of the new buildings, I am very excited for the future, for the next ten years of Biwa and all of the new friends that we will make and memories that we will participate in.

So as not to slight our younger sibling, I should mention that Noraneko is also having a birthday this week. Our sweet, fun little ramen shop and all night diner is such a delight, especially now that she has grown up a little. Like having two cats to keep each other company, Noraneko has been a great companion to Biwa these last couple of years.

To celebrate the birthdays there will, of course, be parties. For the last ten years we have cooked hamburgers for the Biwa birthday party. This year we will be adding bratwurst to the menu, as well as karaoke later, balloons and cake, and I have, so far, promised to cook the hamburgers myself over at Parasol. At Noraneko we will be throwing a no-holds-barred Nachos and Ice Cream Party, because it sounds like fun, an excuse to buy a piñata, and because more people need to know about James’ wonderful, limited availability Ramen Nachos.

We hope that you will be able to join us for the birthday, or will stop in soon to say hi and see what we have been up to. It is always nice to see you!

Thanks so much for ten years of support. We couldn’t do it without you.

On Monday, Feb 27, Biwa and Parasol are teaming up with our neighbors down the hall, the wonderfully Spanish Bar Casa Vale, to host a Happy Hour Open House from 5:00 until 7:00p.

In the last few months of sharing the building with BCV, we’ve realized that there’s a lot of crossover between Japanese izakaya and Spanish tapas - grilled things on sticks and croquettes, fish fish fish, cocktails and snacks - all things which lead to good times. We thought it would be fun to throw open our doors and welcome you all to taste bites and drinks from our three new and different yet cohesive businesses. We’re thinking of it as a house party. And it’s FREE.

Please come sample sherry, cocktails and sake, and snacks and bites from all three restaurants throughout the building. We will have the grill and warm sake set up outside in BCV’s new covered patio, festive outfits and conversations, DJ’s and more – all free and open to the public!

We will also be open for regular service after the party, so stay for dinner and more drinks and even more good times.

One night, a few weeks ago during one of the snowstorms, the team at Parasol and Biwa closed up for the night, ordered a bunch of chinese food and raided the bar and the next thing we knew Alex had rigged up a karaoke system in the DJ booth. Good times were had and we figured that we were on to something…

Effective immediately we hope you will please join us and belt out your best karaoke jams at Parasol every Thursday and Sunday night from 10:00 until 2:00. (free!)

We also have DJ’s on Fridays and Saturdays, karaoke on Thursday and Sunday, anime, movies and other diversions the rest of the week and an easygoing menu of our best Japanese comforts like ramen, udon, oknonomiyaki and ….hamburgers…

On Feb 27th Biwa and Parasol are teaming up with our neighbors down the hall, the wonderful Spanish Bar Casa Vale, to host a Happy Hour Open House from 5:00 until 7:00.

Please come sample sherry, cocktails and sake, and snacks and bites from all three restaurants throughout the building. We will have the grill and warm sake set up outside in BCV’s new covered patio, festive outfits and conversations, DJ’s and more – all free!

Hi (!!!) and we can’t believe how fast December has flown by so far!!! (I think there is something about construction…)

New Year’s Eve has always been one of the most exciting nights of the year for us at Biwa. We all take a break from our regular routine and celebrate with the amazing community of folks who are our best regulars and then throw in an ever changing bunch of new friends… it is always fun, exhausting, surprising, and delicious.

We don’t even know what to say this time around- New Year’s Eve in the new space and chef Carl’s first New Year’s behind the stick!?

Carl is also offering a very limited numberof special chef’s counter menus with additional surprises and delicious-nesses for $80/ guest, and there will also be some exciting variations on the drink pairing for the evening….

For reservations please call us! 503.239.8830

We secure reservations with a credit card and ask a $50/ guest cancellation charge after December 29th. With advance notice, many dietary restrictions (vegetarian, gluten-free, etc) can be accommodated- please ask!!!

New Year’s Eve at Noraneko and Parasol

What about New Year’s Eve at Noraneko and Parasol?!

Reliable and fun almost every night of the year, Noraneko and Parasol will also be ringing in the New Year serving magic ramen, pdx best fried chicken, the best udon, renowned burgers, togarashi fries, fusion sandwiches, okonomiyaki, sundaes, creative cocktails and drafts, thrifty cocktails and drafts, etc until 2:AM as usual (and I am pretty sure there will be cheap champagne, too J )

We are also pretty sure that there will be DJ’s, piñatas, etc but it is just way too early to say…

In any case, thank you all so much for your ongoing support and we wish you all the best in the New Year and we absolutely can’t wait to see you all real soon!!!

After a few weeks of getting to know the ins and outs of the new kitchen at Biwa, we are so excited to finally offer our omakase tasting menu, along with some new a la carte dishes like Carl’s mazemen with butter and uni, the delicious scallion pancake salad, a kimchi seafood hotpot, matsutake ochazuke, and so much more!

We are also now offering oden every night (while supplies last) and really embracing the convenient cool weather vibes of this hearty Japanese staple.

Please come by! We are open Wednesday – Monday from 5-10PM and now take reservations!

Our bar, Parasol, is up and running now, too. With Kayla Goul’s creative and delicious cocktails, highlighting rich flavors like sesame, cacao, rooibos and a lot of tequila, alongside Carl’s menu of Japanese comfort foods and snacks (udon, soba, tonkatsu…) with DJ’s on the weekends… It’s pretty nice…

As we buy plants and decorate and do all of the moving in stuff at Parasol, too, we are truly delighted by the transformation of our space and and all the incredibly beautiful design work that Kina and Constructive Form, the artisans, and crafts folks came together to create.

Parasol is open daily from 4PM – 2AM, with happy hour from 4PM – 6PM

Noraneko is as delicious as ever, and now your go-to spot for steaming bowls of the best ramen. Hearty sandwiches and lighter things like salads, fresh juices, and hamachi poké too! We’ll continue to host DJs on the weekends throughout the winter, and don’t forget that we’re open from 11AM-2AM everyday.

To stay up to date on all of our events and daily happenings, follow us on Instagram

After a heroic whirlwind remodel, we’re ready to reveal our newest addition to the Biwa family, Parasol, with soft openings on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a fundraiser for the Portland Japanese Garden on Thursday of this week.

We can’t wait for you all to see how we have adapted the core ideas and design of the original Biwa space to become the beautiful Japanese café and cocktail bar, Parasol.

Inspired by busy Japanese train stations and the bustle and rhythms of Japanese city life, Parasol serves some of our favorite on-the-go working person dishes, like soba, udon, and curry rice in a cool after-work lounge space with a live soundtrack.

As always, a truly amazing bunch of tradespeople teamed up with Kina and Constructive Form to bring the space together and we couldn’t be happier (or tired-er!)

Also, this Thursday (11/3) we are doing a fundraiser for the Portland Japanese Garden’s amazing “Cultural Crossing” expansion. Pip’s Original will be here frying delicious little doughnuts from their Classic Chevy P-10 Van parked out front, and we’re making a special punch with proceeds benefitting the garden expansion. Please come by and see our new place and support this great cause.

Friday we’ll be officially open, so we look forward to seeing you at one of our pre-opening events this week, or once we’re in full swing this weekend!

Officially and completely, Biwa Izakaya has moved into its new home (right down the hall from its old home!) and we can’t wait to have you over to check it out.

All of us are beyond excited to be in the beautiful new space that Kina and the team at Constructive Form designed for Biwa, and that a wonderful family of carpenters and tradesfriends helped us build.

Our new izakaya draws on everything that we have done here over the last ten years, and it also gives us an opportunity to take some exciting steps forward.

Today we also are getting started cleaning and rebuilding Biwa’s former space, which we will reopen as the casual Japanese café and bar, Parasol, in a few weeks (we will keep you posted).

Thanks so much and we hope to see you soon!

Gabe & Kina and everyone at Biwa

Biwa Izakaya is open from 5:00 – 10:00. Closed Tuesday.Reservations, menus and more information available at biwaizakaya.com215 SE 9th Ave. Entrance on 9th, between Ash and Pine.503.239.8830

We finally got a soft serve machine!

Thanks to Kina’s tireless efforts now you can enjoy our delicious new Japanese style genmai vanilla sofuto creamu, swirled into sundaes with strawberries, sesame and butterscotch, granola and a cherry on top…

Unbelievably exciting!!! (finally!!!)

Kotori at the opening night of TBA!

We’re excited to announce that Kotori will be PICA’s Time-Based Art Festival’s opening night pop-up restaurant. We are going to serve favorites from the sumibiyaki grill alongside some Biwa and Noraneko classics from 8:30PM until 1:00AM at PICA’s new home at 15 NE Hancock.

From September 08–18, 2016, TBA will activate the city of Portland with contemporary art projects that bring artists and audiences together, creating a vibrant community through live performances, music, screenings, workshops, talks, and visual art installations.

We’re thrilled to be there on opening night, at PICA’s new home no less, and hope you will please join us!

Photo by Heather Hawksford

Shazi’s Persian Corn Recipe!

The inimitable Shazi at Noraneko told us about a super simple and wonderful way with corn on the cob. It is all that Gabe and Kina eat on their days off lately, and we have been serving it at Kotori to great acclaim!

It’s comically easy:

Light a pile of charcoal and let the flame die down and the embers get nice and hot. Shuck some corn on the cob—as many pieces as you want—and place them directly in the coals. Cook until charred, blistery, delicious and covered with ashes and stuff. Remove from coals and rinse all of the stuff off of them in a bowl of really salty salt water (a little saltier than sea water) and enjoy. We have been eating it just like this, and find it intensely satisfying, but we suppose that you could butter them before serving and it wouldn’t be that bad (we haven’t tried yet…) Let us know!

All of your summertime outdoor eating and drinking fantasies are about to be realized... Kotori is open for business starting tonight from 5-10pm! Join us on the patio at Cyril's at Clay Pigeon for our best charcoal grilled yakitori. Menu below! Our first guest winery is Division Winemaking Company pouring their 2015 Rosé of Pinot Noir.

And visit us every Thursday and Friday—same place, same time—throughout the month of August!

Kotori is our open-air fantasy chicken snack world! Our yakitori experiment of last summer was a smashing success, so this year, we’re bringing it back… and even better! We’re taking over the amazing patio at Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon, our wonderful neighbors just down the street from Biwa at the corner of 815 SE Oak at Sandy.

Opening August 4th (and thereafter open every Thursday and Friday throughout the month of August from 5 until 10pm) we are serving our best charcoal grilled yakitori, featuring farmer sourced animals and vegetables and, in general, our best efforts and beyond. And this year we’re partnering with some of our favorite wineries to serve absolutely delightful wines from our region. (The winemakers will be making guest appearances!!) Here’s the schedule:

But that’s not all! We’re taking Kotori on the road for a couple special events in September… TBA and Feast Portland!

More about Yakitori…

Yakitori (焼鳥), the Japanese art of grilling chicken, is one of the world’s great refinements of cuisine. Cooks in the U.S. get pig tattoos; In Japan folks love yakitori, the chicken, and there are poultry butchers and yakitori shops everywhere. There is Michelin starred yakitori.

Much of the beauty of yakitori is in its visceral simplicity. Select chickens are carefully sectioned into a dozen or so different parts, ranging from discrete muscle groups like the tender or the oyster, to organs, both familiar and otherwise, and are prepared on bamboo skewers and grilled over binchotan, a particular white oak charcoal that burns so hot that magic happens to the chicken and to the people eating it.

The thing is though, at least in the Japanese context, yakitori isn’t really even so much a meal as it is a semi-ritualized fantasy chicken snack worldwherein after work you casually eat grilled chicken and unwind with your friends and coworkers over drinks on your way home…

I don’t know about you but all we want to do all summer long is drink cocktails and eat snacks… and go to work a lot! The bar team has some pretty cool stuff worked up for this summer. Strawberry Caipirinha at Biwa and Watermelon Caipirinha at Noraneko (Rio anticipatory!) New mezcal cocktails, high balls and chuhis, tiki classics and wine spritzers.

Snacks! Come in and eat cold noodles and otsumami, Oregon albacore, backyard bratwursts and hamburgers (not kidding!), yakitori, farmer salads, corn and tomatoes are coming soon, and even more of the kinds of things you want to eat on a hot day.

An Interview with Gabe and Noraneko’s New Chef Carl!

Chef Carl and the Biwa Double burger at Noraneko

We have a new chef! Carl Krause is a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and has worked at exciting restaurants in Hawaii, Chicago, and Boston before choosing Portland as his home. Last summer he ran our open-air fantasy chicken snack world, Kotori (more to come on that soon!). After a stint with the nice folks at Nomad, he’s now back in our family as chef of Noraneko.

Some compelling outtakes from Gabe’s interview with Chef Carl…

Gabe: What’s your favorite food?Carl: Don’t ask me that.

Gabe: How do you like your Italian beef?Carl: Dipped, obviously.

Gabe: What’s your dream job? Carl: This is my dream job.

Gabe: Who do you think it would be really cool to have worked for?Carl: Marco Pierre White.

Gabe: You’re a glutton for punishment, aren’t you?Carl: Yes.

Also, Chef Carl is an avid gardener who enjoys the delicious Vietnamese restaurants of his new home turf in the Jade District AND he is already bringing fun vibrations to the menu at Noraneko like the curry ramen AND…

Introducing the Noraneko Sandwiches!

At Noraneko we are very inspired by the great 90s-era Portland casual spots like, Dot’s, The Roxy, Escape From New York, etc, that Gabe ate at all the time with John and Donnie and company when he first moved to town and was still real skinny.

To us these places are fun, alternative diners where you can hang out with your friends late at night (maybe intoxicated) and eat and have good times and listen to music and stuff... possibly go home and play video games after… They are the magical intersticial space between bars and restaurants that are at the heart of what we seek at Noraneko, in the guise of a ramen shop.

Sandwiches:

We like eating ramen in the summer, but we realize that maybe you don’t and anyway we thought that some nice sandwiches would be a good way to round out the menu (and would kind of be our version of soup and sandwich at the diner.)

Gabe has also been obsessing a little over veggie burgers and bratwurst lately, and the cooks keep making these sandwich experiments so we went for it, made the big jump and brought in a heavy hitter from the suburbs of Chicago (Chef Carl) to make us some real sandwiches…

Cinco De Mayo, The Tradition Continues!

Every year we do something special for Cinco de Mayo and 2016 is absolutely going to be no different. This year el mas chignon, Santos Gongora, is taking it next level with kimchi tamales at Biwa and the brand new posole ramen at Noraneko

Picture porky posole rojo, taken to another place with ramen noodles, hominy, limes… !Que increible!

Also, there will be margaritas AND Santos and his wife both drive red Mustangs!

All goofy email newslettering aside, please come in during regular hours on Cinco de Mayo—that’s Thursday, May 5—to enjoy these delicacies. One day only. This is one of our favorite days at the restaurant and it is kind of an insider holiday for us… we will be there eating this stuff all day long ourselves and we hope to see you, too!

We always say stuff like this, but we can’t believe that an entire year has gone by since Noraneko opened and our baby Biwa is nine years old now!

On Tuesday, March 15 Noraneko and Biwa are celebrating their birthdays in style! In keeping with tradition, we’ll be serving everyone’s favorite hamburger all night long at Biwa, just like we did on our first birthday back in 2008 and for every one since!!!

At Noraneko, for some reason, we’re going to be celebrating with classic schnitzel and spätzle!!! (and hopefully birthday cake…)

We’ve been reflecting back on the nervousness, excitement, and all around chaos of opening Noraneko…and even farther back to the first days at Biwa (Gabe and Kina were 30!) and we’re amazed and humbled by how really wonderful and crazy the adventure of these restaurants has been and remains.

Valentine’s DayFebruary 14

At Biwa expect very special lovers specials on Valentine’s Day! There will be predictable Valentine’s Day things like oysters, kobe rib eye caps (the “spinalis”), luscious chocolate pudding, and, of course, Champagne—we have a lot of nice stuff on the list right now, most of which is quite reasonably priced (and sake too!). We’ll take reservations for parties of 2 (no more, no less), but still save plenty of seats for walk-ins.

Noraneko is where you should go if your vision of a romantic evening includes slurping up ramen noodles with your lover à la Lady and the Tramp. No reservations required!

Fundraiser DinnersFebruary 16 (Noraneko) and February 29 (Biwa)

We’re participating in a fundraiser this month for: North by Northeast Community Health Center. On Tuesday, February 16, we’ll donate all proceeds at Noraneko to the center. We’ll do the same at Biwa on Monday the 29th (Leap Day!). The mission of the center is to advance health equity and improve health outcomes in a medically under-served community by offering health screening and basic medical services at no cost. Priority is given to African Americans and low-income neighborhood residents. So please come in to give your support!

Kabuki Plays at PSU: "The Revenge of the 47 Loyal Samurai"February 25 - March 5

Professor Larry Kominz has been a fixture of Japanese Language and Literature studies at PSU for almost 30 years. (Gabe actually took 3rd year Japanese reading & writing, among other fascinating and challenging courses from him back in the day)… A specialist in Japanese theater and dance, and Kabuki in particular, Dr. Kominz is realizing a career long goal this year by staging, in English, a big full-on student presentation of “The Revenge of the 47 Loyal Samurai,” the most famous work for the Kabuki stage.

Kabuki is wildly flamboyant and colorful theater, and they are doing the full presentation with all bells and whistles… You should absolutely take advantage of this rare opportunity to attend one of the eight performances, put on by a cast of over 40 PSU students, on the big stage at Lincoln Hall (and then come to Biwa ;-)

“Family Meal” at Ex Novo Brewing Co.Monday, February 29 | 10:30p-1a

Ex Novo Brewing Company is committed to donating 100% of their net profits to organizations that are working to effect positive social change both in Portland and around the world. To continue the efforts, they’re hosting a cooking competition of sorts called “Family Meal” on the last Monday of each month, and Gabe is one of the first participants! (Yikes!)

Each chef will have 24 hours prior to the event to create a family meal with a provided “secret” ingredient. The night of the event, the 2 participating chefs will go head-to-head, with 1 hour to create 2 dishes from 3 secret ingredients. When time is up, the dishes will be judged by a panel of distinguished folks, and a winner will be crowned… The winner will receive a super sweet prize package, not to mention bragging rights! There will be lots of great beer, food, live music and fun!

On Monday, January 25 from 7p-12a Biwa and Noraneko will be participating in a fundraiser hosted at Shift Drinks, and in collaboration with Multnomah Whiskey Library + others in our industry, to raise MONEY MONEY MONEY for Gabe and Kina's brother-in-law, Jason Carlisle.

Jason is truly fighting for his life and has been for years, battling Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia since 2011. After trying everything imaginable without success, Jason is now facing a bone marrow transplant and needs our help. As a longtime member of the Portland bar community, Jason is a daily inspiration to all of us and our hope is to put a crazy fun night together, complete with guest bartenders, great food, drink + music, all while raising as much money as possible to support Jason and his wife, Gabe's sister, Mack. So please mark your calendars, get ready to drink, eat and again, spend some $$$$!

The night of the event you’ll have a few ways you can donate. There will be a door donation when you hit the threshold of Shift Drinks, and you’ll get drinks tickets. You’ll go in, say hi to friends, make some new friends, drink tasty drinks and tip like a normal bar, but the tips aren’t actually tips, they're just more donations to the cause. After you toast to Jason, catch a buzz, raise a glass to your own health, which none of us should take for granted. You’ll be thankful you represented, and on the way out, there’ll be another donating opportunity.

We’ve always been enchanted with the Chinese gaiwan, a traditional tool for brewing and serving tea. The technique has a bit to it, but it’s not overly fussy, there’s a wet and sloppy charmingness to it… you get to experience the tea as it evolves in the brewing process and in your cup. And a lot about what is cool and nuanced in the tea service at Noraneko is thanks to our tea sommelier, Chloé Womack. Here’s what she has to say about it…

Photo credit: Dina Avila

• What is a tea sommelier?

In a dining context, it is easy to discuss wine and tea as analogous because the breadth of knowledge required to acquire expertise in either beverage is of comparable magnitude. We use the term sommelier because the role of wine sommelier in restaurants is established and readily understood by most people. Tea sommeliers work to create tea lists that are complimentary to menu items, train staff on brewing and tasting techniques, and serve and source the tea itself. They are tastemakers who guide guests though a new and exciting experience of tea.

Photo credit: Dina Avila

•Tell us about your path to becoming a tea sommelier.

I had just left graduate school and was completely wiped out. I was sitting in a tea garden, enjoying myself more than I had the previous five years when I turned to my best friend and told her that all I wanted to do now was study tea. The following week, I interviewed at the Tao of Tea and was hired to be a server in their small restaurant on Belmont. It was there that I was trained on tasting and brewing, under the guidance of industry veterans. I drank tea all day long. When the teahouse was slow (May through October, yikes), I spent my time pouring through every book in our company’s library and picking senior employees' brains. I wanted to know everything about tea because I had truly fallen in love.

Outside of work, I became part of a community of tea drinkers. My days off were filled with tastings and Chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony) training. At my bartending job (because, of course, I had two jobs—one for learning and one to pay the bills) I would bring tea in and prepare it for my co-workers, gong-fu style. I’d discover a tea and devise a cocktail. I’d work with my friends in the kitchen on developing recipes for tea pickles and tea glazes and tea pot de crèmes. Days at the teahouse and nights at the bar went on for over a year. I was drinking or reading about or making or talking about tea for 18 hours a day.

I left the teahouse and was hired to help open the bar at Noraneko. During orientation, I introduced myself and talked about tea (obviously). Afterwards, Kina and Gabe approached me and asked if I could help them with the tea program. I distinctly remember telling Gabe that I would only do it if we did it right. Luckily, they let me run with it, and I have been the tea sommelier ever since. Everything clicked together, just like that.

I continue to do tastings and study tea ceremony. I started a company called Tea Somm (obviously) with my colleague, Ana Martinez. We spent the fall sourcing incredible teas from Southeast Asia, which you can now drink at Noraneko. ^..^

Photo credit: Dina Avila

• Where have you traveled to in the pursuit of tea knowledge, and what did you learn?

In September, I travelled to Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia in search of great examples of tea from underrepresented tea growing regions in our market. Tea from China is afforded a certain prestige, similar again to the wines of Burgundy. The demand for Chinese tea is so high that it is simply impossible for the tea farmers to meet. So, now you have Chinese tea grown all over the region that is then sold for export. Many of these are good teas, great teas, in fact. But, they can’t be fully appreciated because their terroir is often ambiguous.

The idea of opening up conversation around where tea is actually grown was the impetus for Tea Somm and our sourcing trip. We asked ourselves why we couldn’t find many examples of great tea from places that were geographically similar, or proximal to China. When travelling, we operated under the assumption that if the climate is similar, and the people are the same, then there must be great tea grown there too. And, we were right.

One thing that I noticed when I returned from our trip is that many people’s perception of quality tea is rooted in authenticity. This is completely understandable, because tea is the oldest beverage on the planet and has many associations with spiritual practices. But, it is easy to forget that it is also the most widely consumed beverage on the planet. In tastings and when I prepare tea for guests, I am often asked if I am doing things ceremonially or in a traditional way. The answer is tricky because it is always yes and no.

When we traveled through Northern Thailand, we drank Tie Guanyin oolong with Chinese ex-pats who had been cultivating the region since Mao’s Cultural Revolution. In Taipei, we brewed Tie Guanyin grown in Taiwan, with pomp and circumstance, at the famed Wistaria Tea House. In Malaysia, we drank Tie Guanyin that had been grown in China, but imported and processed in Malaysia for the specific tastes of the Malaysian Chinese community. My point is that after meeting dozens of farmers and businessmen (always men) that live in these cultures, the most authentic thing one can do is actually drink tea.

Photo credit: Dina Avila

• How should people enjoy tea at Noraneko?

The beauty of gaiwan service is that the guest can really get to know their tea by looking at it, experiencing its aroma, and drinking multiple infusions throughout their meal. Our tea list is dynamic and fun, just like our menu and restaurant. So, I say in full earnestness, that the best way to enjoy tea at Noraneko is to drink it all the time. I begin my meal with tea and continue brewing long after I’m done with my food.

We have some friends whose beautiful wares are an essentially integrated part of the experience at our restaurants, and we think you should know a little more about them. The same attention to detail that we put into cooking and serving is echoed in their craftsmanship. And they make really great holiday gifts too…so please check them out!

Portland Apron Company creates handmade aprons in a small studio in NE Portland, with a focus on simple, functional designs and organic fabrics. It was started by Erika Kelly in 2012 as a fun side project, and has grown into a busy and successful business. Erika made these amazingly handsome/functional aprons for Norankeo and we think they are just great.

“Kina and I got together at Noraneko to talk about what they needed in an apron. I brought her some samples to look at, and she asked if the ties could be customized to match the norens in the space. She wanted the ties to be close in color, but slightly contrasting. I thought it was a great idea, and after some searching I was able to find the colors we ended up with. I love the end result! It's really fun when I get to collaborate with others and come up with something new like this.” —Erika

HANK by Henry is a collaborative effort between Noraneko chef Ed Ross and his girlfriend, designer Allison Henry. HANK offers a revival on contemporary chopsticks with a passion for un-paralleled craftsmanship. Each pair is crafted out of durable wood and meticulously hand-painted with understated details. They really are small objects of art.

“Culinary culture plays a big part in our daily ritual, we cook and entertain at home a lot. For us it’s about getting people together and sharing a meal with them - being surrounded by good food and lots of laughs. The chopsticks became our way of bringing a little more joy into that experience. We hope they inspire people to get jazzed about what they’re eating…these are the chopsticks they reach for every time they order takeout or make their favorite noodle dish.” —Ed & Allison

Careen Stoll’s ceramicsare inspired by sensory experiences of nature: the cool smooth of a river stone, the transformation of an egg, the endlessness of the sea… and she finds it is easy to capture these qualities with porcelain. She designed a lovely set of platters and plates for our new sashimi menu at Biwa, so please take note next time you’re in. Watch the video below to see Careen at work…her method is truly an art form!

“As the daughter of a sailor, the creatures of the sea are particularly special to me. Memories of delicate undulations and effortless gatherings, all suspended in watery space, return to me when I sit quietly before sushi. I hope that my dishes at Biwa can present these gifts from the sea with the respect that they deserve. To work with Gabe and Kina has been a real pleasure: not only do they have a similar regard for the beauty and sourcing of food as I, but they absolutely understand the ephemeral sculptural nature of the dining experience without getting all formal about it. Biwa has always felt like a place where my heart is warm and all my senses are pleased.” —Careen

The team just went to New York City and this is what they did…

Gabe, Kina, and Chef Ed took a trip to NYC in late October for the StarChefs International Chefs Congress. It was the 10th anniversary of this grand industry affair and the theme was “Open Source Cooking: The New Era of Collaboration and Connectivity.” No doubt. The gang thought it super cool to be in the same room as contemporary chef luminaries like Michel Bras, José Andrés, and Wylie Dufresne, and to cook alongside other chefs from around the world. They served the fried chicken from Noraneko… skin-on thigh meat brined in sake/soy/shio koji, coated in potato and cornstarch (gluten free!), fried to crispy amazingness. People loved it.

Ed also participated in a collaborative ramen competition, which was fun, and a highlight of the trip for him was a two-day stage at Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Nougatine and Jean-George (three-Michelin stars!).

They also ate their way around the city. Here are the places they went to and really liked:

So Many Peppers

In anticipation of kale and kohlrabi, we’re furiously preserving the summer harvest. Because it’s fun to eat peppers and shiso throughout the year. Here’s what we’re doing…

Jimmy Nardello Peppers - made into a paste, fermented and dehydrated to make a fermented pepper powder to sprinkle on vegetables and sashimi for bright flavor and color. Turned out beautiful.

Shiso “Capers” and Leaves - Gabe asked all the farmers he knew to give him their shiso buds, and boy did they come through. That plus what Gabe and Kina pulled from their garden…we have a nice batch of fermented shiso capers. Plus the leaves too.

Events this Month:

What can Oregon learn from Japan's tragic triple disaster? (Earthquake/Tsunami/Fukushima Nuclear Plant Meltdown) The “Great East Japan earthquake” of March 11, 2011 was the most powerful in Japanese history, with a magnitude of 9.0 (Mw). General Eiji Kimizuka led the Joint Task Force that coordinated 100,000 soldiers of the Japan ground Self-Defense Force for relief efforts. General Kimizuka will recount what happened during Operation Tomodachi, and what Operation Tomodachi means for the Japan-U.S. cooperation in the future. Guys, this will be interesting.

This series at OMSI is focused on healthy, economical eating that’s a little outside the box. Chef Ed will talk about how to make ramen at home by jazzing up ramen packets with things you could get at any grocery store. Think “Supermarket Sweep” ramen… instant noodles, boxed stock, a simple chasu recipe using pork tenderloin, vegetable garnishes (hit the salad bar!). It will be healthy, delicious, and quick. And you get to taste it if you go.

The Central Eastside Industrial District (CEID) is starting a night market. It will celebrate the artisans, music venues, creatives, restaurants, and bars of the neighborhood. Come discover new makers and merchants as you taste, try, and buy. Biwa and Noraneko will be there serving sake and other surprises.

Bratwurst? Really? Well… Maybe because of Gabe’s weird, picky-eater Iowa childhood, affinity for the unexpected, desire to buy a sausage maker or whatever… We are making these now…

Our funny offbeat juxtaposition (bratwurst in a ramen shop!?) serves a crucial/ vital (important!) purpose. You should have the ultimate satisfaction, for those times when you’re really hungry and just want to eat something quick, delicious, familiar and bratwurst. Maybe you can’t eat ramen everyday. Well, we can, but, I mean…

Also, Gabe worked for a long time as a butcher at Viande Meats (RIP) inside City Market so he and Chef Ed bought a sausage maker, and they’re making beautiful bratwursts together again.

"Noraneko Bratwurst" is served with carrot and cabbage sauerkraut, chopped onion, and authentic mustard. No odd-ball twists except for an Asian-fusion-Vietnamese-bahn-mi bun from An Xuyen, which seemed like a good idea, and tasty German/ Wisconsin-style bratwurst.

In the midst of Feast and what we are sure (hoping!!!) will be a beautiful September weekend Kotori, our summer yatai, is pairing up with PDX Oyster Social and their wonderfully nomadic oyster bar on Friday September 18th and Saturday September 19th for two very special evenings of kodawari yakitori and oysters on the half shell… a perfect late summer evening!

We promise to have oysters, champagne, cocktails, yakitori, music and good times from 4:00 until sunset… all you have to do is come join us! (… at the corner of SE 9th and SE Pine)

It’s our third birthday tomorrow and you should come by for a Double Hamburger ( OR a Future Burger... ) and an Ice Cream Cone anytime between 11:AM and 2:AM #itsourbirthday #futureburger #comepartywithus #pdx❤️ #pdxbest #ramen #veggieburger #thankssomuch #wecouldntdoitwithoutyou